Slip-cover fastener



D. 1. REITER 2,158,152

SLIPCOVER FASTENER May 16, 1939.

Filed April 22, 1938 INVENTOR Daniel Heifer BY ORNEY Patented May 16, 1939 UNITED STATES FATi'iia OFFICE 4 Claims.

This invention relates to slip-cover fasteners and particularly to those designed to secure the edge portions of adjacent slip cover sections or other sheets in overlapping relation without sew- In adjusting slip covers over the upholstery of automobiles, the covers may be secured by the customary means over the seats and'seat backs where there are no permanent obstructions or protruding 10 devices. In automobiles of the latest models however, the robe rack or bar which has heretofore been removably secured to the back of the front seat, is permanently secured thereto. Such bars or racks prevent a one-piece or a completely 15 stitched or preformed slip cover from being used.

The cover must be split or part of the edge stitching omitted to enable it to pass the bar. The split parts cannot be stitched together since they must be secured in place in situ, so that pins or the like have heretofore been unsatisfactorily used to secure the edges together.

This invention therefore contemplates the provision of a simple one-piece sheet metal fastener adapted to be economically manufactured, and

when fastened in place, presenting no protruding parts, for effectively securing together the overlapping edge portions of adjacent slip cover sections or the like sheets without materially increasing the thickness of the installation at the points 30 so secured or fastened.

My invention further contemplates the provision of an inexpensive fastener, adapted to have the exposed portion thereof suitably ornamented and thereby presenting an ornamental appear- 35 anoe, for adequately but removably holding the adjacent edge portions of a pair of flexible members such as slip covers together without interfering with the proper tensioning or adjustment of the members.

40 My invention further contemplates the provision of a simple one-piece sheet metal fastener for adequately but removably securing a pair of sheets together in edge to edge overlapping relation.

45 The various objects of the invention will be clear from the description which follows and from the drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is an elevational View of a pair of oppositely extending sheets of material such as the 50 parts of a slip cover, having their edge portions overlapped, said figure showing the portions secured together by means of my improved fastener.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the same taken on 55 the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section of the same taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a vertical section of the fastener taken on the line 4- of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the fastener. 5

In the practical embodiment of my invention which I have shown by Way of example, the sheets Ill and II, forming, for example, adjacent sections of a slip cover, terminate at their edges in the respective infolded edge portions I2 and I3. Assuming that there is an obstruction preventing the stitching of said edge portion together in the customary manner, as for example to pass the baror robe rack on the back of the front seat of an automobile, said edge portions are easily secured together without the necessity for pins or stitching and at suitably spaced intervals by means of my improved fastener, designated generally by the numeral I4.

The fastener comprises a single piece of sheet metal comprising the central anvil section I5, the outer securing section 16 and the inner securing section ll, said sections being of generally the same shape, and preferably flat. As illustrated, the shapes assumed by said portions are circular for convenience, though it will be understood that any suitable polygonal or other outline may be employed for such parts instead, and that the sections it and I? may be domed or partly domed instead of flat, if desired. The anvil section I5 is provided with a series of depressions arranged to receive and bend the prongs of the securing sections when said securing sections are bent toward the anvil portion with the sheet I0 or I I therebetween. For example, the preferably triangular 3 recess or depression 20 is made on one face I8 and is directed inwardly, being provided with a bottom wall 2i pressed inwardly toward the section I1, the depression 2! being arranged to receive and bend the bendable prong 22 projecting from the outer 0 securing section I5. Similarly, the depression or recess 23 is adapted to engage and bend the prong 2 3 of the section it and the depression or recess 25 is adapted to engage and bend the prong 26. The inner securing section I i is similarly provided with prongs 21, 28 and 29 adapted to enter the recesses 3! 3i and 32, respectively, and to be bent thereby. Said recesses 39, 3I and 32 are directed oppositely from the recesses 20, 23, and 25 or, in other words, are pressed outwardly from the other face of the section i5. It will be noted that the prongs 24, 26 and 21, 29 of the respective sections I 6 and I? are not in alignment but are in relatively staggered relation in order that they do not interfere with each other in the operative position 'stantially edge to edge position, the

'I] pierce the edge portion of of the fastener and in order that independent recesses or depressions may be provided in the anvil section I5 for the reception of said prongs and the bending thereof when the various sections are bent into place. The section I6 is integrally joined by the bend 33 to the edge of the anvilportion I5 and extends from the face I8, while the section I! is similarly joined thereto by the integral band 34 arranged diametrically opposite to the bend 33 and extends from the opposite face or the central section.

' In order to secureIthe edge portions I2 and I3 of the slip cover together in properly overlapping;

relation and with the sheets I3 and II in subunderneath edge portion I3 of the slip cover section II is inserted between the sections I5 and H of the fastener to the proper extent and preferably up to the bend 34. The sections I1 and I5 are then pressed together so'that the prongs of the section Y the slip cover and enter their corresponding depressions 33, 3|

- in place. The edge portion I2 of the adjacent slip cover section It is now inserted between the sections I5 and I6 of the fastener in the same manner after which the section It is pressed onto the section I5 so that the prongs 22, 24 and 26 thereof enter the depressions or recesses 20, '23 and 25 and are similarly bent inwardly.

The fastener thereby assumes the position shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, since the sections are preferably flat and do not occupy a space much greater than the combined thicknesses of the edge parts I2 and I3 of the slip covers. It will be understood, as has been hereinbefore indicated, that the portions I3 and I1 .may be domed or otherwise shaped to provide an ornamental appearance and that they neednot necessarily be fiat. It will further be understood that the diameter of the section I5 is preferably equal to the desired amount of overlap of the edge portions I2'and I3, which overlap is determined by the remaining stitched portion ofthe slip covers or sheets. Consequently, in order that the edge prongs of the sections it and Il may be properly received in the corresponding recesses of the section I5, said sections I6 and I1 are of less diameter than the amount of overlap and of less diameter than the section I5 (see Figs. 1 and 5).

; The sectionstherefore become arranged eccentrically of each other when the fastener in bent into ing of said securing sections.

operative position, that is, the respective centers of the sections are not in lateral alignment. The fastener may be readily stamped from a strip of metal, the prongs bent at right angles to the sections from which they project and the securing sections then bent at an inclined angle to the central section, the user completing the bend- It will also be understood that while for convenience I have shown the slip cover sections I0 and I! over- 7 lapped horizontally, that the overlap may be and usually is vertical and that my improved fastener can be used regardless of the direction of the seam or overlap of the slip cover sections.

While I have shown and described certain specific embodiments of my invention, I do not wish to-be understood as limiting myself thereto, but intend to claim the invention as broadly as, may be'permitted by the state of the prior art and the scope of the appended claims.

- I claim: li -A one-piece fastener for use in securing the and V .32, being bent inwardly by the bottom walls of pronged'section integrally joined to and of lesser area than said anvil section and bendable towards and into eccentric relation to said anvil section, and a second bendable peripherally pronged section integrally joined to said anvil section at a point opposite the juncture of the anvil section and said first section and also of lesser area than the anvil section, the prongs of the second sec tion being arranged in staggered relation to the 1 V prongs of the first section and in position to enter said depressionssaid prongs being bent by said depressionsinto position to fill said depressions and to be confined within said depressions, when the first and second sections are bent toward the anvil section. e V

2. A one-piece fastener of the character described forsecuring together the overlapping edge portions of a pair of sheets arranged to extend from the fastener in opposite directions, said fastener comprising a central anvil section provided with oppositely and laterally projecting of a pair of sheets toelongated, imperforate and radially arranged V prong-bending depressions in the respective faces thereof and in inward spaced'relation to the periphery of the central section, and a pair of bendable sections smaller than and integrally.

joined to the central section in eccentric rela-i tion to each other andto the central section at opposite points and each provided with elongated peripheral prongs arranged to enter said depressions and to be bent thereby into a position in substantially parallel relation to the remainder of the central section when the bendable sections are bent toward the central section.

3. A one-piece fastener comprising a circular central section provided with laterally extending elongated triangular imperforate depressions in one face thereof and with oppositely extending identical lateral depressions in the other face thereof, a circular outer section of lesser diameter than the central section and arranged eccentrically thereto, bendable triangular prongs on the peripheral edge of the outer section adapted to enter the first-mentioned depressions, a circular inner, section similar to the outer section and arranged eccentrically of the central and outer sections, and bendable triangular peripheral prongs on theinner section adapted to enter the second-mentioned depressions, said inner and outer sections being integrally joined to the central section atdiametrically-opposite points and.

being bendable toward said central section, whereby said prongs pierce a pair of sheets in serted between the central section and the other sections and are bent by the central section into positions entirely within the corresponding depressions andfinto substantially parallelrelation to'the remainder of the'central section- ,to hold the sheetsrwhen the sections are pressed toward each other. V

4. A one-piece sheet metal fastener for securing together adjacent overlapping edge portions of a pair of sheets extending from the fastener in oppositedirections comprising a fiat central 7 circular section having one set'of imperforate radially arranged depressions triangular in outline in one face thereof and extending laterally in one direction and having a second set of imperforate radially arranged depressions triangular in outline in the other face thereof extending laterally in the opposite direction, the basesof said depressions being in inward spaced relation to the periphery of said section, and the apices being nearer the center of said section than said bases are, a first bendable circular member of lesser diameter than that of the central section provided with triangular prongs arranged to enter and to be bent by said one set of said depressions when the bendable member is bent towards the central section, said prongs extending laterally from the extreme periphery of said bendable member, said bendable member being integrally joined to and arranged on one side of said central section and in eccentric relation thereto when bent into its operative position, and a second similar bendable member having triangular peripheral prongs adapted to enter and to be bent by the second set of depressions, said second member being circular and of lesser diameter than that of said central section and arranged when operative eccentrically to the central section and to the first member, said second member being integrally joined to the central section at a point opposite the joint between the first member and the central section and being arranged in the other side of the central section, said prongs when bent lying wholly within the depressions.

DANIEL I. REI'I'ER. 

